Feeling Like Noah

Tonight I'm playing the waiting game. Storms earlier in the week and again today have drenched parts of our parched state, and the ground just can't handle it. More rain is expected tonight, along with possible severe weather. So, a little like Noah, I wait.

I'm not concerned about my home and belongings being swept away by rising waters. We live far enough up on Bear Mountain that it would take something catastrophic to get water all the way up here. Instead I worry about communities to my north and south - and I make preparations to come to their aid.

We began to see email traffic a couple of days ago regarding the storm situation that was developing. GEMA and local EMAs began to plan with our Adjutant General on how best to handle the situation, and the result was a very elaborate storm plan. Our battalion is the Search And Rescue specialist for the state, so it was tasked to provide two SAR teams to prepare to deploy ahead of the main body to flood-stricken areas to size up the situation. Today things got even more interesting when I got an email from our battalion commander saying he was not able to be the team leader for SAR Team 1 due to an injury, and could I take it instead. I agreed, and the ball started really rolling. Currently we are at ALCON 2, which means "be ready to go when the call comes in day or night." I am mostly put together, but am foregoing some of my prep in favor of a little extra sleep. If it hits the fan during the night, I don't know when I would get to sleep again.

So I wait, and I watch. Will the waters continue to rise? Will the dreaded tornadoes stretch down and tear up parts of our state? Will tomorrow find me searching through wreckage or flooded homes? Will I be filling sandbags to hold back a flood? Or will I wake to sunny skies, put away my gear, and head off to work like any other day? Only the Good Lord knows, and I just hope I'm ready if needed.

Parati Servire - "Ready to Serve".